Election 2012: Eric Lieberman

Name:

Eric Lieberman

Position sought:

IL State Rep 18th District

Campaign contact information. Please include any or all of the following: website, email address, phone number, Facebook page, Twitter account, mailing address, etc.

Website: www.liebermanforillinois.com and www.expectmore.us

Age and Birthdate:

62, 10/29/1950

Family Include as much info as you like (names, ages, number of children, etc.)

Wife: June Shellene

Deceased Son: Seth

Dog: Shadow

Education Include degree(s) and school(s):

Elementary: Oakton School, Evanston

Junior High: Nichols, Evanston

High School: ETHS, graduated 1968

College: Carleton College and University of Illinois

Law School: Loyola University Chicago, graduated 1980
 

Occupation:

Attorney, Business person, Mentor

Political Party:

Running on Republican Ticket (this time!)

Official name of your campaign committee (if you have one):

Lieberman for Illinois

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices:

Democratic Precinct Committeeman, Milton Township, DuPage

Democratic Candidate for States Attorney, DuPage

Chairman of Zoning Board, Warrenville, IL

Illinois’ unfunded pension liability is $83 billion. The state’s inability to address the issue recently led Moody’s to downgrade Illinois’ credit rating. What should be done to address the state’s rising pension obligations?

First and foremost, politicians must immediately begin to tell citizens the truth. As Daniel Biss recently admitted, we got into this mess because, he said ""we lied, we lied and then we lied"". Incumbents that participated in this, whether directly or complacently, should NOT be re-elected. They have already demonstrated their inability to develop and implement a solution. But, especially, they have established their willingness to lie about the affairs of our state.

Solutions are not brain surgery. Other states have addressed these issues - we don't need to reinvent the wheel. This will require truth and pain. We need to have a five (5) year plan. Any longer plan is simply another ""kick the can"" down the road and will burden a generation much younger and more innocent than the generation that allowed this to happen.

What are the most important issues facing your district and what would you do as a legislator to address them?

1) The 18th district shares in the financial mess created by state government. We cannot move forward on anything in good faith until we have honestly addressed that problem.

(2) Evanston used to have schools that ranked in the tier of the country. Today we didn't even make the top 20 in Cook County. We need to address this issue with honestly. I want to know why.

Illinois’ state government has a terrible reputation in terms of corruption. What would you do to change the culture of state government that has seen recent governors from both political parties convicted of felonies?

Breaking the culture of corruption is critical. The following things need to be done immediately:

1. Eliminate the ability of state party chairman to make unlimited contributions to local campaigns. This circumvents the logic of campaign funding rules, gives advantage to corrupt or complacent incumbents and strengthens the control that chairmen have over legislators, weakening the will of legislators that want to exercise critical independent thinking.

2. Create mechanisms for government transparency. Establish clear targets for government performance and simple information presentation for citizens to determine how well government is acheiving its targets. Businesses use a ""scorecard"" or a ""performance dashboard"" to judge their own performance. Government should do the same. This has happened in other states - but not in Illinois. See my website for more.

3. Incent legislators to achieve target performance. They should not be paid - as they are now - just to ""show up"". When they establish the targets established pursuant to #2 above, their compensation should depend on how well they achieve targets.

Education in Illinois is funded primarily through local property taxes. What changes, if any, would make to that funding system?

Actually, 60 to 65% of public school funding comes from local property taxes. State and federal funds provide the remainder. Until the state honestly addresses the backlog of bill, there will be no serious possibility of changing school funding to create a more level playing field among school districts. Some neighborhoods will continue to have more money available per student than others.

Alternative school possibilities - charter, private, on-line, home school - need to be considered by parents unhappy with the level of funding in their own districts.

Illinois recently passed a significant increase in its income tax, yet the state continues to run a deficit. What specifically should be done to reduce the deficit?

1) Obviously, eliminate waste and redundancy. This was done in other  states with apparent success.

(2) Stamp out the culture of corruption that repeals business in Illinois, reducing jobs and state revenue.

(3) Honest and transparent government.

Why would you do a better job representing the district than your opponent? If you are running unopposed, please just share why you are qualified for the position.

I have experience differing dramatically from my opponent. I have addressed a business with a failing economy and an administration that did not tell the truth. I turned it around. I am independent by nature: I would not be complacent or cowtow to party leaders. I am an experienced negotiator, truth finder and teller and leader.